Folau helped lead the Silver Ferns to their first Netball World Cup title since 2003, landing 28 goals from 35 attempts in their 52-51 upset final win over Australia in Liverpool on Sunday (Monday NZ time).

It had been a long time coming for the 32-year-old, who along with Ferns' veterans Laura Langman and the retiring Casey Kopua, lost World Cup finals to Australia in 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Watching Folau effortlessly sink her trademark long range bombs during the World Cup, you wouldn't have known the challenges she's faced in her personal life in recent months.

The Fever were ahead by two points in the final quarter when star goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler (51 goals, 51 attempts) went down with an ankle injury, and spent the remaining seven minutes sidelined at Priceline Stadium.

The new-look Thunderbirds line-up looked dominant from that point, allowing the Fever just three more goals while scoring six of their own to end the club's sorry sequence of 27 losses in a row.

After a 13-year international career, this campaign has a distinctly different feel about it. In her fourth Commonwealth Games, this will be the first in which she's taken the court with her new surname emblazoned across the back of her black dress, after her marriage to Australian cross-code superstar Israel Folau in November.

The 57-test veteran admits she's still coming to terms with this "weirdly" sentimental transition, despite having already debuted her new name during January's Quad Series.